Hudson Valley News

FEMA has decided to grant Orange County over $3.6 million for hurricane damage to the county government center in Goshen. County Executive Edward Diana had originally sought about $7.5 million,Diana and the State Office of Emergency Management have both endorsed the funding.

The award is a far cry from the $505,290 FEMA first offered the county. It upped that to $534,980, but Diana now said it is because of the perseverance of his administration to challenge the numbers that convinced FEMA to increase them dramatically.

More than 1,100 homes in Dutchess County have been added to the government’s list of being at a high-risk of flooding. That could mean that the homeowners will have to pay for mandated flood insurance that can cost more than $2,000 a year. After the recent study by the federal emergency management agency of the flood risk, more than 5,200 properties in Dutchess County are now designated in the high risk category. For more on the new flood maps, WAMC’s Brian Shields spoke with Paul Weberg, senior engineer at FEMA’S New York office.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has voted to wait before approving new licenses for Indian Point and other nuclear plants until it addressed the question of how to deal with safety and potential environmental threats from long term on-site storage of nuclear waste.

The NRC’s decision came after a Washington, DC Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling involving the NRC’s Waste Confidence Decision update.

The financial situations in the County of Rockland and City of Newburgh are in such precarious shape that Governor Andrew Cuomo and State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli are considering proposals to create a super control board to take over their finances.

Such a board would review the finances of all counties, cities and towns on the verge of bankruptcy.

Newburgh Mayor Judy Kennedy said while her city has made significant strides in recent months to reduce its deficit and cut spending, there is still much more to be done.

The dispute among Ulster County officials concerning the procedure to redistrict the county legislature may be resolved. County lawmakers and administration met in a marathon session Thursday evening.

The county legislature wanted to provide input in the process; the county charter review commission didn’t want lawmakers involved.

The tentative agreement Thursday centered on asking the state for a home rule measure that would allow the public to call for a permissive referendum on redistricting after the committee comes up with a map.

Local officials in the Town of Fishkill have asked federal representatives in Washington to seek a delay in flood insurance requirements.

Town Supervisor Robert LaColla said the issue was brought to light by local residents.

“Several constituents had come to us to ask about what can be done about their banks requiring flood plain insurance,” LaColla said. “Many of these people have never had an issue, they never put in a claim, they’ve never had water in the building, yet they were being asked to buy insurance at a cost of $300 to $3,000.”

The national aviation radar system will be converted in the future from ground based radar to a global positioning system (GPS) and the Stewart Airport Commission went on record on Tuesday asking the US Department of Transportation and the FAA to consider locating the so-called NextGen operation at the Newburgh area airport.

Commission Chairman James Wright said it would mean lots of jobs and making Stewart a central point for the new radar system.

The Mid-Hudson Sustainability Planning Consortium unveiled its strategy to the public for a regional growth project, called the Regional Sustainability Plan, at SUNY Orange in Newburgh on Monday evening.

Funded by about $10 million from NYSERDA and part of the Cleaner, Greener Communities program put into action by Governor Cuomo last year, the consortium has until Christmas of this year to present an economic roadmap for the seven-county region that will promote job growth as well as reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

On the occasion of the release of a report about income taxes on the wealthy by the advocacy groups Americans for Tax Fairness, Citizens for Tax Justice and the National Women's Law Center--- and marking Monday's 47th anniversary of the 1965, signing of the federal law to establish the Medicare retirement health care program by President Lyndon Johnson--- representatives of advocacy and labor groups rallied in Beacon - Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Dave Lucas was there and files this report.

Thousands of people from across the nation rallied in Washington on Sunday in opposition to hydro-fracturing to mine natural gas from shale formations.

Members of the Stewart Park and Reserve Coalition, headed by Sandra Kissam of the Town of Newburgh, attended the rally and she described the scene from D.C.

“We are over here in front of the Capitol Building, about 2,000 strong or more, listening to Bill McKibben, who is one of the leading proponents of doing away with fracking and also a leading opponent to the Excel Pipeline,” Kissam said.

A new committee will begin to look at developing a sustainability agenda for the Mid-Hudson Valley. The seven-county region – Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Orange, Sullivan, Dutchess and Ulster – will seek input from residents as to what to include in a sustainability plan.

“Green economic development” is how Orange County Planning Commissioner David Church describes it.

Dutchess County plans on getting a dose of reality – on television, that is. Two “reality” based production teams are gearing up for local shoots, according to the Dutchess Economic Development Corporation.

“Tourism has been responding to a number of calls for films, commercials and reality shows,” noted EDC member Andrea Reynolds, in a report made to the board at Thursday's quarterly meeting.

Future science education in Dutchess County will be more integrated, when Vassar College completes its flagship campus complex in 2015. The proposed academic facility is designed by architects to function as a bridge, allowing ecological study of the stream crossing beneath its archway.

After many years of programming and needs analysis, Vassar College has decided to launch a renovation and construction project for its 12 acre neighborhood of science buildings.

With the world economy in flux and gun violence dominating the headlines, some find it hard to extend compassion to those around them, while others are moved in these turbulent times to "give all" and more...

In Poughkeepsie, a positive mindset prevails when it comes to extending a helping hand to families and individuals in need. Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Dave Lucas joined a “Community Walk” held this week in the city…

In his continuing effort to keep county expenses down, Ulster County Executive Michael Hein Wednesday proposed a voluntary separation program for certain county employees as a means of reducing the size of the workforce and lowering payroll and benefits expenses.

Under the program, which would require county legislature approval, the 232 eligible workers could receive a one-time $12,500 separation payment to leave county service no later than December 1.

Health and Personnel Committee Chairman Robert Aiello, a Republican, supports the plan.

Congressman Eliot Engel (D-Westchester/Rockland) briefed the new chairwoman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission of his concerns and opposition to the Indian Point nuclear power plants in Buchanan and their applications for license renewal.

Engel’s comments came during a joint hearing of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittees on Energy and Power and the Environment and the Economy on Tuesday.

Ulster County Executive Michael Hein announced on Monday that he is applying for Community Development Block Grant funding to assist low income homeowners in need of housing improvements with priority given to homeowners needing repairs due to Tropical Storms Irene or Lee.

Rural Ulster Preservation Company will administer the program for the county. The county and RUPCO will apply for $750,000 with applications from homeowners due on August 7. Funds are expected to be available in the spring 2013.

KINGSTON – The City of Kingston is facing a potentially critical financial crunch in 2013 and Mayor Shayne Gallo chalks it up primarily to mandated expenses.

The mayor, who is drafting his first budget to be presented a few months from now, said he is starting out behind the eight ball since the previous administration used $1 million from the city’s reserves to balance the 2012 budget. There are other concerns as well.

It took three years to get the official approval necessary to allow Indian Point to move spent nuclear fuel from one storage area to other. As Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Dave Lucas explains, the process in getting special permission could affect re-licensing the plant’s reactors…

21 state, county and municipal leaders have signed a letter calling on New York State to fine New York City 13-point-5 million dollars for sending turbid waters into the Lower Esopus Creek... Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Dave Lucas reports.

The 21 leaders sent a letter to the State Department of Environmental Conservation, which must decide whether to allow the releases of muddy water to go on... those opposed to the releases argue they damage ecosystems in the Lower Esopus and hinder business and recreational opportunities for communities situated along the Creek.